Tuesday 20 March 2012

Onto Slope and Waipapa Points Catlins!

After a slow start this morning, the temperature outside our motorhome showing a minus 1.4deg still at 9am. It was nice and cosy inside as Derek had got up at 6am and turned the gas heating on.  It had only run a short time before running out of gas. B****r another thing to do in Invercargill. 

Driving along 30 odd kilometres of unsealed roads we arrived at Slope Point. There was an old van parked in the gateway with 3 tourists who appeared as if they had been there all night.  Breakfast of mussels, tomatoes and rice was being cooked on small stove alongside the gate.

It gets very windy at Slope Point and Waipapa Point.It gets very windy at Slope and Waipapa Points.

Slope Point is the most southernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand. It is obvious where the point got its name after looking at all the trees. We had a pleasant walk across farmland to the point before returning as more people arrived.  I think we must have been the early birds today.

The gang at Slope Point.The gang at Slope Point.

There was a cold wind blowing in from the Fouveau Strait but otherwise not as cold as I imagined it would be.

The crumbling coast line at Slope Point. The Southern most point of NZ.The crumbling coast line at Slope Point. The Southern most point of the South Island of NZ.

We continued to Waipapa Point with it’s lovely old lighthouse that was built after an inquest into New Zealand’s worst civilian maritime disaster when SS Tararua hit Otara Reef and sunk in 1881 with the loss of 131 lives.

Waipapa Point lighthouse.Waipapa Point lighthouse.

At the beach we were lucky enough to see 5 sea lions amusing a group of people on the sand dunes.

The beach master is challenged by the young bull.The is really not what it looks like.The beach master finally gets some peace after seperating the young bulls.The beach master finally gets some peace after separating the young bulls.

We continued our round trip and coming back on the main highway through Tokanui, where we checked out the dump station to see if there would be any water for us tomorrow morning.

2 comments:

BigJohn said...

What a coincidence. Our gas ran out this evening

Derek and Dot said...

Hi John
They certainly don't last long when we are using them for heating too, only 9kg whereas yours are 13kg. Only 3 weeks worth.